Real Madrid, which is a professional association football club in Madrid, Spain, is the topmost spender in European and the world football. It has spent over €1000 million (£831 million) in the last ten years, where no other football club in the world has spent as much as this figure.

A sports paper Marca has reported that the summer signings, headed by Florentino Perez, were made by the club, have taken Real Madrid’s complete spending to an incredible 1022 million Euros.

Angel de Maria, Sami Khedira, and Pedro Leon, who have arrived at the club in summer, have spent nearly 53.3 million Euros. In 2009 during the summer, after the come back of Perez to the club Presidency, an unparalleled spending spree was noticed, for more than 250 million Euros by the Kaka, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Xavi Alonso joining the club.

In the summer of 2000, the first elected club President was Florentino Perez. Since then the club has made nearly 48 signings of which, the first main signing was Luis Figo (50 million Euros), followed by Zinedine Zidane (72 million Euros) and Ronaldo, Brazilian striker.

During 2003, David Beckham has entered the club and the same time, in spite of its huge investments, the Real Madrid club came across the results crisis amid June 2003 and the end of 2006-7, that resulting the club in losing the trophies.

In the beginning of 2006, Perez has resigned from that post and Ramos Calderon has been chosen as a President. Under Calderon, the club has seen victory with two domestic titles.

After being caught up in a vote rigging scandal, Calderon was forced to resign and his exit has paved the way for Perez to return.

Car hire in Madrid are offered from Avis, Europcar, National Atesa and Hertz.

Bullfighting or corrida de torros is a traditional spectacle in Spain, Portugal, Southern France and Latin America. The show involves the ritual killing of a number of bulls by a toreador. He is a specially trained professional that taunts the bull, performs intricate maneuvers at a very close range to the animal. The fight is concluded when the bull is killed with a sword. The toreador wears special garments made of damask and velvet.

Madrid and Andalusia are the two center of bullfighting in Spain. There are two rings in the city- Vista Alegre and Las Ventas. The second one is the bigger one. It is situated closer to the city center and is easily reachable by the metro system. It has a capacity of 20,000 people. The fights usually take place every Sunday at 7 p.m. from the middle of May to October. Tickets are available online as well as the two days before the show.

Museo Taurino de la Plaza de las Ventas

There is a small museum dedicated to bull fighting that is behind the Plaza de las Ventas. It is easily reachable by bus and metro and is open in the mornings.

Bullfighting has caused much controversy. The proponents of this spectacle claim that it has cultural and historical significance and must be preserved. Animal activists claim that it involves the purposeful harm of bulls and horses for the amusement of crowds. They assert that it is barbaric blood sport which is outdated. In Portugal for example the fight does not conclude with the killing of the bull but with the pega. That is when a group of men try to hold the bull for his horns.

Recently, the human activists managed to gather enough supporters in the region of Catalonia. There, bullfighting was forbidden.

If you are considering seeing a corrida you might want to rent a car. Trusted companies in Madrid are vis, Advantage, Budget, Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar, Thrifty, payless, E-Z, Simply Wheelz, Enterprise, Europcar and Practical.

Madrid is the largest and the capital city of Spain. It lies in the centre of the Iberian peninsula with an altitude of over six hundred meters. The city has a population of more than 3 million! However, people living here are very friendly and welcome outsiders warmly. The city offers Europe’s craziest nightlife and can keep you engaged with its restaurants, theatres etc. Also you can head to Madrid if you want to catch the best Football team of the 20th Century, Real Madrid CF, in action at the Bernabéu stadium. The largest bull ring in Spain is in Madrid; watch the event in full vigor. Madrid on the River Manzanares is of great cultural importance. There are many child-centered attractions for families and the city appeals to both, the young and the old.

Climate

Madrid has hot winters and cold summers. March to May and late September and October are the most popular times to visit as sightseeing in the city can be very tiring in the summer heat. The temperature then is between 20 and 32 degrees Celsius (68°F – 90°F). September is a pleasant month, with temperatures back down to around 25 degrees Celsius (77°F). In November the temperatures drop, and the daily average is 12 degrees Celsius (55°F), dropping to 9 degrees Celsius (48°F) in December.

Places to visit

Prado Museum, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (MNCARS), Palacio Real de Madrid The Sabatini Gardens, The Basilica of San Francisco el Grande, El Retiro Park, Cathedral de la Almudena, Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, The Royal Palace of El Pardo, Museo Sorolla, Lazaro Galdiano Museum, Museo del TrajeReal,  The Royal Convent of La Encarnacion, Caixa, forum Madrid, Botanic Gardens The Temple of Debod, The Decorative Arts Museum, The Church of San Jose, Museum of Natural Sciences, Plaza de Cibeles  are the places one can visit in Madrid. Also the churches here are very popular.

Airport

Madrid-Barajas Airport is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain. The airport is the primary hub and maintenance base for Iberia. The Madrid-Barcelona air shuttle service, known as the “Puente Aéreo”is the world’s busiest route, with the highest number of flight operations. Car rental facilities are provided at the airport by Avis, Advantage, Budget, Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar, Thrifty, payless, E-Z, Simply Wheelz, Enterprise, Europcar and Practical.

Transport

The city enjoys efficient infrastructure and transport facilities. The buses in Madrid are frequent, clean and cheap. You can use your metro ticket interchangeably with the EMT red buses. The national rail network in Spain is called RENFE; they provide excellent links from Madrid Atocha and Chamartin stations to towns and cities both within the Community of Madrid and the rest of Spain. Also, if you are a confident driver, the best method to travel around is to hire a car. It is very comfortable and allows you to move with your convenience.